Is your Chromebook constantly freezing or crashing? If so, this can be incredibly frustrating, but may be easily fixable.

There are a number of reasons why your Chromebook may be crashing or freezing, so let's get into what they are.

1. Malware

red malware warning on laptop

Malware doesn't always operate without symptoms. Sometimes, malicious programs will have a negative effect on how your computer works, leading to slow loading times, freezing, and crashing.

Some malware is designed to restart your device for installation, while others simply use so much processing power that they cause additional problems as a result.

In any case, if your Chromebook is freezing or crashing frequently, it may be due to the presence of malware. This could be anything from spyware to ransomware, and should be removed as soon as possible.

To check whether your device is infected with malware, try running a scan using your chosen antivirus program. If you don't have any antivirus software installed, it is highly recommended that you find yourself a provider to keep your Chromebook safe.

Some antivirus programs will quarantine and delete malware for you, but some malware programs are a little trickier and require manual removal.

If you think this is the case, contact a cybersecurity firm or check out some cybersecurity forums and sites to see if there are removal tools available for the kind of malware you're dealing with.

2. Full RAM

A close up view of embedded RAM

Your Chromebook's RAM (Random Access Memory) is responsible for holding any short-term data required to carry out current actions. When you shut down your Chromebook, your RAM is typically cleared.

Restarting your laptop won't clear the RAM. A full shutdown is usually required for this.

When your RAM gets full, it can start to affect how your Chromebook's applications function, and can also cause the entire system to crash. If you've noticed that your Chromebook's performance is degrading, it might be because your RAM has no space left for new data.

To free up space on your RAM, consider shutting down your Chromebook, deleting useless files, and shutting down background apps that you don't need running.

3. Outdated Operating System Version

A PC Showing Being Updated on Its Screen

The OS (Operating System) stands as the backbone of your Chromebook, managing both software and hardware usage. Every few weeks or months, your OS provider (in this case ChromeOS) will release an update. These updates can increase security integrity, add useful features, and improve the overall efficiency of your device.

If you've been avoiding your OS update requests for a while, your Chromebook may be paying the price. Older OS versions can lead to sluggish performance and security issues, which is why it's important to update your OS every now and then.

However, if you have a very old Chromebook, updating to the newest OS may cause further freezing and crashing, as the old hardware will struggle to support the new software. If this is the case, consider upgrading your Chromebook to a newer version.

4. Too Many Apps Open or Installed

screenshot of chromebook app menu in touchscreen mode

There are so many apps to make use of nowadays that it's no surprise many of us end up with too many installed on our devices. Apps are by no means a bad thing, but overloading your Chromebook with endless software programs can cause it to freeze and crash.

Many apps also run in the background, so even if you don't have them directly open, they may still be using your Chromebook's processing power.

5. Too Many Chrome Tabs Open

person using google search engine on laptop

While using the Chrome browser on your Chromebook, you may notice that pages are taking a long time to load, or are freezing entirely. If this is the case it may be due to the number of tabs you currently have open in one Chrome window. When we're shopping, working, researching, or studying, it can be all too easy to build up a long line of tabs.

If you have too many tabs open but feel you still need to refer back to each of them, consider adding the web pages to your bookmarks bar. This allows you to close the tab and then quickly access it again via Chrome's bookmarks section.

The three vertical dots at the top-right of your Chrome page will lead you to your bookmarks, and the star on the right-hand side of the URL bar will allow you to add the page you are on as a bookmark.

6. Too Many Active Extensions

screenshot of chrome extensions page

If you're using numerous extensions at once in Chrome, it can cause issues with your laptop. Extensions, such as grammar checkers, ad blockers, or VPNs, can serve a useful purpose, but if you have many active simultaneously, you can easily overwhelm your browser, causing slow performance, freezing, and total crashes.

This may result in the loss of useful tabs or unsaved work, so it's best to avoid such a scenario.

If you want to check which Chrome extensions you have active right now, click on the three vertical dots at the top-right of your browser page, and hover over the More Tools option. Here, you'll be given another drop-down list, wherein you'll see the Extensions section.

Alternatively, you can click on the jigsaw piece at the top-right of your browser page to get a quick-access view of your extensions.

On the main extensions page, you can simply click on the toggle next to the extension name to disable it, or click on the Remove option to delete it entirely.

7. Hardware Issues

close up shot of computer motherboard

It's not always a software problem that's causing your Chromebook to freeze or crash. Sometimes, one or more of your laptop's hardware components is at fault.

Unfortunately, some hardware issues can't be fixed via a quick update or device restart. When the problem becomes physical, you may need to fix or replace hardware components yourself, or take it to a professional service to have this done for you.

When it comes to consistent freezing and crashing, there could be several hardware components responsible, such as your CPU, RAM, cooling fan, HDD, or SSD. If you're not very familiar with computer hardware, consider using a professional service to highlight and resolve the issue.

Many Things Can Cause Your Chromebook to Crash

As you can see from the list above, there's more than one reason why Chromebooks, and laptops in general, tend to freeze or crash. So if you're dealing with this problem, consider some of these possible causes to see if you can remedy the issue.